All-star weekend is pretty soon and Wade as captain of the eastern conference tries to convince LeBron to participate in the dunk contest and the 3-point shoot-out. LeBron won't dunk, but considers to maybe try the 3 point contest...

Dwyane Wade prods LeBron
By Brian Windhorst
ESPN.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- In his new role of captain of the Eastern Conference for All-Star Saturday, Dwyane Wade is applying some peer pressure to Miami Heat teammate LeBron James to take part.

Wade, who has input on whom the NBA selects to take part in the popular events, tried to get James to re-consider his long-standing policy of saying no to the slam dunk contest, which will take place Feb. 16.

"I tried to convince LeBron," Wade said Friday before the Heat took on the Indiana Pacers.

Wade also tried to get James to consider taking part in the 3-point shootout for the first time. James is shooting a career-high 40 percent from 3-point range this season.

"I went 0-for-2," Wade said. "He said he didn't want to shoot."

When asked Friday, though, James said he hadn't ruled out the 3-point contest. Wade said former Marquette teammate and New York Knicks forward Steve Novak would be in the contest and that current Heat teammate Ray Allen would not be so Allen could have the time off.

The NBA is revamping its popular All-Star Weekend festivities, and Wade and Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul have been chosen as captains in a new format that will pit the conferences against each other. The league will get final say on the participants, but Wade and Paul have been consulted.

All-Star Weekend is Feb. 15-17 in Houston.

what do you think?

I personally wish we'd go back to the competitive dunk contest it used to be, when the biggest star players squared off. I'd like to see Bron, Griffin, D12, Westbrook etc. go at it... and not some guys nobody cares about. Don't get me wrong, I love Ross, but other than Toronto fans, nobody would really care about him if he was in it......

I actually think if Gay is playing, they should just start him. Why wait? I get the "he hasn't practiced yet" argument, but it's not like he's going to learn everything in one practice anyway. The sooner you start working him into game situations the sooner chemistry develops.
I can't see the offense being a reason to sit him, and while he might not know some D principles, I would just say don't play zone when he's out there, and he should be able to manage the rest of the time if the team communicates...and if they don't our D will probalby be sucking anyway.